The present invention relates generally to feminine care absorbent products such as pads and liners, and more particularly to feminine care products that improve the skin health and wellness of the wearer.
Feminine care absorbent products, such as pads and liners, are absorbent articles placed against or in proximity to a wearer""s body and are designed to absorb and contain body exudates. Such articles are generally single-use or disposable items which are discarded after a relatively short period of use. The products typically include a liquid permeable bodyside liner or cover, a liquid impermeable outer cover or backsheet, and an absorbent material or structure disposed between the bodyside liner and outer cover. The liquid impermeable outer cover may be breathable, i.e., permeable to water vapor.
Although the bodyside liner that comes into contact with the wearer""s skin is typically made of a soft compliant material, such as a non-woven spunbond polyolefin material, it can still abrade the skin during use and cause skin irritation and dryness. Additionally, the bodyside liner may not leave the skin completely dry of bodily fluids. Menses and other vaginal secretions can contain a variety of components that can damage the skin""s outer barrier layer and lead to skin inflammation and irritation. Many wearers of feminine care products also suffer from disorders of the anorectal area, such as hemorrhoids, inflammation, chronic itching, etc. Conventional feminine care products do not address anorectal disorders and may tend to only exacerbate these disorders
To reduce the likelihood of skin irritation, a wearer may apply skin protective products directly to the skin before wearing the article. Such products have included various commercially available creams and lotions. Particularly in the art of diapers and incontinence articles, it has been known to apply lotion formulations or other agents to the bodyside liner to improve skin health. In use, the lotion formulation either transfers to the skin or provides lubricity thereby reducing friction between the liner and body. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,287,581 B1; 6,149,934; 6,281,407 B1. The  greater than 934 patent teaches, inter alia, that a lotion formulation may be applied to the entire surface area of an absorbent article bodyside liner or may be applied to particular sections (i.e., in a multiple stripe pattern) of the liner to provide greater lubricity of such sections.
In view of the above, it has been recognized that there is a desire and a need for improved feminine care absorbent articles that offer an improved skin wellness benefit while providing relief to anorectal disorders, and irritations or skin issues that can be caused by wearing these products.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
The present invention provides a feminine care absorbent article, such as a pad or liner, having an outer cover, an inner bodyside liner, and an absorbent body disposed between the outer cover and bodyside liner. Discrete localized deposits of a skin wellness additive, particularly a lotion formulation, are disposed on the body facing surface of the bodyside liner. These deposits provide an increased skin wellness benefit in that they offer an enhanced degree of lubricity and protection to targeted areas of a wearer""s skin. The quantity of the deposits may vary depending on the desired skin wellness benefit and may be, for example, within a range of about 0.5% to about 50% of the total weight of the bodyside liner.
In one particular embodiment, the discrete deposits are defined as longitudinally extending bands disposed along the longitudinal sides of the bodyside liner. These bands offer skin protection along the problematic sides of the liner and also may act as a liquid barrier against leakage out the sides of the article.
In another particular beneficial embodiment, the discrete deposits are defined at one or both longitudinal ends of the bodyside liner at locations targeted for the wearer""s anorectal area. The term xe2x80x9canorectalxe2x80x9d should be understood to not only the wearer""s rectum and anus, but also the adjacent surrounding skin areas. Deposits of the lotion formulation at these target sites can provide relief to the pain, itching, and inflammation of hemorrhoids and other anorectal disorders and conditions (discomforts).
In still another embodiment, the bodyside liner is treated generally uniformly with a skin wellness additive and has additional selectively positioned deposits of lotion formulation on its surface.
In still a further embodiment, the discrete deposits of lotion formulation may include a combination of bands at the side edges and longitudinal ends of the bodyside liner, as well as at least one anorectal deposit.
The lotion formulation can vary broadly within the scope and spirit of the invention. Various formulations are widely known and used in the art for providing skin wellness benefits and to address or prevent particular skin disorders or irritating conditions. It may be desired that the lotion formulation include at least one emollient that acts as a lubricant to reduce abrasiveness of the bodyside liner against the skin and, upon transfer to the skin, helps to maintain skin condition. The emollient may be selected, for example, from the group consisting of oils, esters, glycerol esters, ethers, alkoxylated carboxylic acids, alkoxylated alcohols, fatty alcohols, and mixtures thereof. The wax selected may be natural, synthetic, or a combination thereof.
The lotion formulation may also include at least one wax selected, for example, from the group consisting of animal based waxes, vegetable based waxes, mineral based waxes, silicone based waxes, and mixtures thereof and all of which may be natural or synthetic.
The lotion formulation may also include at least one skin protectant to protect injured or exposed skin or mucous membrane surfaces from harmful or irritating stimuli.
The lotion formulation may be applied to the bodyside liner in discrete localized areas by any one of many well known manners. For example, the formulation may be sprayed or slot coated onto the liner. Other methods include rotogravure or flexographic printing.
The invention will be described in further detail below with reference to embodiments set forth in the figures.